Tokaharu: Not Where I Had In Mind
by nocturnepoet
Summary: Azuma Tokaku didn't have a particular destination in mind when she renounced the very thing she was born for, triggered by Ichinose Haru, and surprising herself more than anyone. Killing was in Tokaku's blood from the very beginning, an heir to the gore-soaked family of an old assassin lineage. This is their after story; the journey to normality, or at least as close as they can be
1. When Did I Change?

I don't have a specific point when I realised that I had changed. There were so many synonyms for it. Ichinose would use metamorphosis. Not a shiny new version, but a transformation. I had emerged from the black class as a stark contrast from my former self, as an evolved organism changing not only _for_ survival, as a _result_ _of_ survival.

My clan would call it conversion, a forceful assault on my psyche, well, they might've been right in the beginning. But there was a moment when I became willing and that was entirely by choice. If that's their word for it, then absolution would describe where I now stood. That's not the end of the story though. There were so many things I hadn't known or experienced, of life, myself, and Ichinose.

If the world is full of forgiveness, then consider me a sinner praying on my knees.

The biggest first step towards this foreign existence was when Ichinose provided oxygen as I sunk in that cage. I stayed up tossing for hours, questioning whether that was all it had been. Why the thought bothered me so much. Every part of my being wanted to protect her, even the dusty bits I couldn't seem to reach on my own anymore.

Maybe that's how I ended up here, hand clammy, knees shaking, about to slide open a door in a hospital ICU.


	2. Anathesized Exchange

_Go in. Why are you so terrified?_ _ **You**_ _did this to her._ _ **She**_ _should be scared,_ _ **not**_ _you._

Sucking in a deep breath, I checked around me out of pure habit, and pulled it open.

"Tokaku!" Her voice made me stop, just past the doorway. It didn't sound the way I'd prepared myself for. I'd spent the night inhaling the scents lingering in her bed sheets, trying to solidify them in my mind. I'd been waiting for the worst, an angry, scared, broken kind of response to my presence. But it was all together normal, if not exhausted and slightly dazed, having just woke after surgery.

"Ichinose-" I began, taking in the sight of her pale, frail repertoire, oxygen mask still secured over her face, splotches of blood from the operation still present not only on her gown, but on her blankets. An IV drip and too many cords for any type of comfort stretching to machinery. Her hair lay past her shoulders for once as the hair ties that would normally hold it up were gone.

I felt sick. _You did this._ My stomach had already emptied whatever bitter distrust had been consuming me when I tried to kill her. Now it was filled with regret. She shook her head, reaching out to me. My feet found their way as I seated myself at the bedside, letting her hold my quivering palm.

"Did you find your proof?" I nodded. "Then you need to make a choice. You can go back to your old life or you can stay with me. You can't have both." There was anxiety in her eyes.

I hesitated, letting relief flood my face with a small smile. "That's stupid, Haru." My fingers fell between hers, lacing them together, "Where else would I go?"

A moment of silence before, "Tokaku? What did you decide for your wish?"

I shook my head.

Ichinose brightened up, though her tiredness was evident. Eyes starting to droop, I hit the call button. A nurse rushed in attentively.

I glanced at the woman, "When do you think the doctor will see us?"

"Probably later tomorrow after we run the scheduled tests. Those will start at 10am. Oh, and visiting hours are almost over."

My face must've shown my distaste because fingers reassured me that it'd be okay. "Fine." I huffed. "But if _anything_ happens that I don't hear about then we'll be transferring hospitals." I stood, leaning forward to kiss Ichinose's forehead, "Goodnight, Haru." It was too quiet for anyone but her to hear, and I begrudgingly went back to our dorm room.

Morning arrived, but sleep didn't, which was disconcerting. I never had trouble like this before. The next few days were a blur of tests, some painful, some un-intrusive. All I could do was hold her hand. _Hopelessly useless, even though this mess is your fault._ Those thoughts never stopped. Haru refused pain medication, which wasn't helping absolve my guilt. She did everything they told her even through her discomfort. Today though, I get to take her home.

Entering her room I was met with a big smile, as if everything was right instead of fucked. I couldn't help but feel my chest tighten, not entirely sure what to do with all my affection.

Haru was sitting up enjoying breakfast, "Toka!" My head cocked to the side curiously. "Guess what!" My eyebrow rose, but then the annoyingly familiar blonde popped up behind me. I groaned.

"More like guess who, Ichinose." Nio smirked.

Haru shrugged finishing her meal. Nio continued, "The chairwoman is disappointed to inform you that you lose. Your target survived and your time limit has expired. Therefore, Ichinose gets to graduate and make a request. Azuma, you're lucky to be forgiven. The wish Ichinose made was for the two of you to have enough money to live comfortably, normal lives together."

My jaw dropped. "You what? My family will try to kill you!"

Nio didn't give time for Haru to answer, "Not if they think you're dead." I almost dropped the bag of clothes I brought. "Oh, and there's already arrangements for your living quarters."

"Toka, I want to go home with you." Nio made gagging noises in the corner of the room.

I whipped around to glare at it. "Get out trash!"

Nio's hands flew up in surrender. "Fine. We're on the first floor of the parking garage."

Once their 'arbitrator' disappeared the doctor came in to unhook all the monitors and inform us. He was an older man, respectful as well as astute. He looked like he was about to have me excused until Haru slipped her hand in mine.

He cleared his throat after reading the file with him. "Miss Ichinose had minimally invasive reparative surgery. She should be capable of returning to most normal activities in about two weeks, assuming she follows her exercise plan regularly, keeps her incision clean, and does not overstress her body until she's ready. I do not recommend any sexual activity if she seems to be having a difficult time physically, while in most cases like this the patient may return to such things fairly quickly, you can never be too cautious." Both of our faces grew hot.

It wasn't the intention, but it was enough to put the thought in my mind. _Damnit, now you've meddled with us._

"No lifting or moving anything more than five pounds, no standing in place for more than fifteen minutes, eat healthy meals, don't submerge or soak your incision in water of any kind, clean it twice a day and inform us in case of infection or heart distress. Don't overdo it. We'll call for a follow up appointment in two weeks." With that he left us to get ready to go see our new home.


	3. Settling Down

"Toka, could you help me?"

I'd faced away so she could change, a dusting of red along my cheeks with thoughts I'd never considered as roommates. I mean we've seen each other's bodies in the public bath, but back then we weren't looking. It was different, me seeing her now, with these feelings that have my blood rushing. I'd only felt similar in battle. This wasn't the same, but it's all I could compare it to.

I cautiously moved behind her to untie the knots holding the generic hospital gown in place, my fingers so nervous that I couldn't manage. This only made me more embarrassed. "T-they must've done this too tight, I can't seem to get it. Do you mind if I have to cut it?" Every syllable was being uncooperative. _Buttons would_ _be so much better._

"H-haru doesn't mind." _She's dropped the third person mannerisms lately, maybe she's nervous too._

Flashes of her lip wavering made me want to keep it still with mine. _What is this urge?_ I tried emptying my thoughts, but as the strings snapped, I imagined what it'd be like to rip all her clothes away. I rushed to sheathe my weapon as Haru slipped off the fabric, her scarred skin reminding me of all the hardships the positive girl had been through. I picked up her shirt, helping slip it over her head, covering the white hospital issued bra.

A hand on my shoulder, the other gripping the edge of the gurney I supported her weight, as she pulled her legs through denim jeans. Gradually the embarrassment receded with the increase of clothing until I picked Ichinose up to set her in a wheelchair.

The car ride was quiet. When we arrived at the apartment I immediately assessed security. Cameras all over the facilities, card scanner at the main entrance, private parking lot, code lock and bolt on the actual apartment itself. Then Nio opened the door. It wasn't an apartment. It was a loft. Apart from the bathroom and the balcony, it was all a single room. Not that it was cheap or anything, though it wasn't what I expected, Haru's excitement became evident as she took in the whole scenery.

"Keys, cards, cash, and codes are all in the envelope on the island, everything has been fully stocked. Don't bother sweeping for bugs or cameras, as the wish required you live normal lives, you're no longer under surveillance from us and it's too soon for anyone else to figure out who you are to plant any. Now you two can be as disgusting as you want." Nio winked as my knuckles turned white, balled up in anger. "Bye-bye!"

Haru ran up to hug me, my expression must've put off concern because her eyes became apologetic as she started walking instead. Rather than pushing away, I let her head rest on my shoulder, my nose catching faint traces of her lingering shampoo from a week ago. My pulse quickened.

"I'm glad you chose me." Haru muttered against my collarbone. It made me shiver involuntarily.

"I will choose you, consistently, in every way from now on. No hesitations. It may take a while to get used to a relationship or learn my way, but I will. I'm done running from my feelings."

Her beautiful amber eyes raised to meet mine, looking for a bluff. _Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere._ Was what I meant to say, it just didn't feel like the message would be received as I wanted it to. My forefinger lifted her chin just enough for me to almost reach, but not touch, stopping a centimeter short. Blood rushed in my ears and my face warm. Even though my eyes were closed, I knew she looked the same.

I wanted to be me. Rough and aggressive, but at the same time, I didn't want to hurt anyone anymore, least of all Haru. The few seconds it took her to register that I wasn't going to close the gap were agony. I'd never seen her get shy before and even though we kissed once in the water, that was to save my life, not purely to communicate despite lack of adjectives.

Once she realized why, I heard her whisper, "Haru's too worried that she's messing with Tokaku's head..."

"This is me. Don't think you need to wait for me, I want to kiss you. Stop it for you if need be, just don't do it for me."

"Haru doesn't know if she can risk losing Tokaku again." Her breath was warm against my face.

 _Please, let me prove it._ "Do _you_ want to?" The smallest nod I'd ever recieved was the deciding factor.

The first time was so light that we barely touched at all. I'd never been one to understand nor desire such things. We learned about the reproductive cycle and in psychology we were taught the way human interaction escalates over time, it wasn't this though. That was theories & textbook pages. This was gentle brushes, and growing confidence. This was concrete pouring itself over my future because _this, this_ is where I _wanted_ to be. There were so many things I'd missed out on, I would practically beg to learn everything in that moment, but time was all we had so, I savored it.

Then I remembered what the doctor said about standing. "I'm going to pick you up Haru."

"Okay," though I pulled back to carry her, she didn't recede, her fingers tracing the nape of my neck, making my head fuzzy.

As soon as we sunk into the sofa, her palm moved to my cheek, reconnecting us. We found a harmony between movements, my hand on the back of her neck, supporting the position of her head as I tried something new, suckling her bottom lip lightly before ending. Her breathing uneven and labored, I knew her body wasn't as ready as we were.

She seemed sad I'd retreated, so I left a soft last peck behind. "We have time. Years to catch up these two weeks you have to take easy." I smiled, watching her play with my fingers in her lap.

"I know, you're right. You're always right." Haru sighed.


	4. Insecurities

I felt eyes on my back as I scrubbed the dishes. Let's just say, cooking is not a strength of mine. Over boiled onigiri being the only thing I can make, our dinner options were limited. _I wonder if Ichinose can cook_.

"I apologize for that." I murmured, disappointed in myself.

Footsteps padded across linoleum until a slender pair of arms snaked around my stomach. My embarrassment never ends lately, as my cheeks went red, my body stiffened, not used to the idea of being touched without malicious intentions, a chin rested on my shoulder.

"Thank you, Tokaku. It was very nice. Tomorrow if we go shopping, I can make curry."

My ears perked, a grin twitching onto my face. "When did you learn how?"

"Hmm," the vibrations from her throat raised goosebumps on my skin, "In Home Ec. It's all I ever saw you eat, so I requested we learn the recipe. Figured I'd make it someday, out of gratitude."

"We can go...I mean, we'll need to buy clothes anyways." I glanced at the clock, "We should sleep. You need rest." A nod, "I'll take the couch."

"You don't have to."

 _I know that. Of_ _ **course,**_ _I know that. But I_ _ **can't.**_ _Not yet_. The way I avoided her gaze must've communicated something honest in my mixed up ball of emotions because Haru understood, at least part of it.

Breath tickled my skin, "I love you." A pause, "When you're ready."

I turned, pressing my mouth to hers lightly. "I shouldn't be able to do that...I need to redeem myself, somehow. I need to know that I can be something other than a murderer."

"Become a police officer." For some reason, the fact that Haru had thought about me having a normal life before now was surprising. But it also filled some empty spot in my gut. _She wanted us. I wanted us too._

"That sounds appropriate." _Saving lives. I can absolve my legacy of horror, using the skills they've drilled into my skull_. "I'll call the chairwoman in the morning."

Haru let go of me, going to get ready for bed. I was used to hearing the domesticity of her nightly routine, but now it wasn't just background noise, it was reassurance. I followed in suit, going to the dresser drawers to find that all our belongings had been brought from the dorms. Grabbing a pair of shorts and a grey T-shirt. Rather than waiting or taking the bathroom from Ichinose, I simply changed into them there.

From where I stood, through the cracked bathroom door she stared at her reflection with a bothered expression. My curiosity peaked, watching, I realized she was shirtless, eyeing her scars, and the slightly swollen area around the stitched wound I'd given her.

She noticed me, quickly tried pull her shirt over her head ending up yelping in pain, I rushed forward, taking hold of the fabric, lifting it until her arms were free.

Haru opened her mouth to say something, but closed it rethinking her words before deciding on the unconvincing, "I'm okay."

Back turned so as not to invade her privacy anymore than that, but the smell of blood had me in a worried state. _Haru just got out of the hospital and here you go already sending her back!_ "No, you're not. Sit down so I can check your stitches." Haru reluctantly did so, taking a deep breath which I punctuated with, "Sorry for spying."

Rummaging through the cabinet for the first aid kit, she mumbled, "It's my own fault. I started over thinking is all."

"About?" It was less like a kit, more like a paramedic's bag. I routed around for the supplies required to clean her up, hoping we wouldn't end back in the ER.

She shook her head lightly before telling me anyways, "Whether my body is too marred for you to be happy seeing it.."

"No." I answered, meeting her eyes, not giving her any time to continue, "It isn't marred. Your scars are not ugly, they are a window to your hardships, one I can only glance through. I don't understand how to communicate how I feel. We were never allowed to speak or form bonds. I apologize for not saying it, but I've never been in love. I am trying to honor you though."

My hands nimbly ripped open the sterilized packet containing a piece gauze soaked in cleanser, gently dabbing at the area where little droplets of crimson pooled to see that only one string had popped it's placement. I sighed in guilt & relief at the same time.

Haru looked at the tiled floor self consciously. "Are we good?"

I nodded, "You popped one, but as long as the others stay in you'll be alright." My fingers pinched the thread, painlessly removing it.

"Tokaku?"

"Hmm?"

"You don't have to be nervous." My movements ceased for a split second before applying disinfectant. She didn't even bat an eye at the alcohol wipe. To be expected when you've practically grown up with defensive wounds.

My heartbeat resounded in my ears, but persevering I spread ointment over the area. I felt different, like the domesticity had awakened a new array of emotions within me. It was odd. Nevertheless, with a bandage secured in place, I had the excuse to wait outside, but when I didn't respond, Haru reached out to take my hand, repeating herself. "You don't need to be nervous to touch me. Your fingers are shaking." She was right. Trembling against her skin, she set my palm on her cheek. It was warm. Mine must've been on fire.

Words poured forth without a filter, "Isn't it right to be terrified by the person whom is claiming all your firsts?" I could name so many.

First friend. First love. First kiss. First hug. First time holding hands. First person to insist on using my name. First time I was jealous of someone. First breath of fresh air apart from the stench of trained killers. First person to make me feel anything other than apathetic indifference.

First person that ever made me feel normal. Like I knew what _'home'_ meant.

"Tokaku?" "What?" "You're crying."

"I'm sorry." My head hung of it's own accord.

To be vulnerable has always carried shame when born of Azuma descent. An heir was to be perfect in our line of work. To be perfect, you were uninvolved and unnoticed, quick, clean, and precise. Mistakes cost dearly.

"Don't do that," Haru's calm voice almost made the pain unbearable. Still, I forced silence. "Don't push away from me. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere." Releasing my hand, she moved my chin to face her, bringing us together again. I swear her lips could've destroyed me. If I hadn't been so confused, we could've done this a long time ago.

I think she wanted to.

There were bits of salt spread between us. _All of this._..I needed more. Now's not the time though. I'm still too afraid. I don't deserve her.

Ichinose must've forgotten her insecurity in my blur of emotions because there was no time to question. She pulled me to her even as my body betrayed me, breaking into fits. I kissed the fresh bandage, "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

She slid from the toilet to the floor with me, still shirtless, but ultimately unfazed as I buried myself in her neck trying to appease the ugly thoughts in my mind by showing my ardor, kissing her collarbone as if my fragile existence might harm her any more. Arms secured me to her chest. We stayed like that for a long time. Until the self-reproach subsided.

When my eyes had dried Haru whispered to me, "Are you tired yet?"

"Yeah." I mumbled.

"Where do you want to sleep?"

There was only one answer now. There was no use in hiding it. Not waiting, I stood, steadying myself. I easily lifted Haru, bridal style, making my way to the king size bed, though not before hitting the light switch. Once Haru had sunk into the sheets, my body curled up to her.

She lay on her side with my face resting on her naval, holding her waist as she pulled the covers over us, stroking my hair.

"I love you. I didn't say it back, but I love you. _Don't leave_. I _love_ you." My lamentations faded as my mind became fuzzy.

It was my first full night unawakened by terrors since Ichinose had been hospitalized.

As daylight approached, I woke at 6 am sharp, like clockwork. We were still tangled together, however she continued breathing steadily, not wishing to wake her, I planted a peck on her jaw before contorting myself free. It was peculiar how yesterday morning I was flustered at the idea of sleeping in the same bed, but now it seemed so much less intimate than my outburst. I would've stayed there, in blissful unproductivity if it weren't for my newfound determination to make her whimsied musings reality.

I was going to join law enforcement.

To do that, I had to keep in shape. I had that endeavor completed, but without routine, my muscle mass would dwindle. So, in spite of myself I pulled on my favorite boots and snuck out the door with my new key & passcodes stuffed in my short pockets next to my phone. It comforted my conscience when the bolt clicked back into place automatically as the door swung shut.

 _She'll be fine. No one knows who we are yet._

Exiting the building, I started looking for guide signs, eventually stumbling upon one leading to a park. Seeming like a good place to workout, I followed them.

My pace picked up from a light jog to full on running. Mondays & Wednesdays are in the gym. Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays are a 10 kilometer run. Sundays are weapons training.

 _Good thing it's the weekend_.

45 minutes later, I finished with stretches, then my daily muscle exercises: pushups, crunches, curls. The works. It was my training from Private Academy 17 that instilled this schedule.

7:18 am, I stumbled across a flower shop on the way back. The employees weren't satisfied by a sweat covered 16 year old ordering a bouquet of indigo & red flowers.

When they handed me fake ones my mood became sour. "I didn't come in here for My eyes bore holes through the manager. "I'll pay when you fulfill my request properly."

The man took a defensive stance, his arms crossing his chest. "I doubt you have enough yen."

A scowl. _"I have enough."_

"I'm not going to clip live flora for some kid that can't afford it."

"Get the owner on the phone then."

So I waited another ten minutes, hoping Haru was still sleeping. _I won't accept any less than the best for her._ When he finally came back, someone followed him. Someone I recognized. "Hanabusa?"

Last time we'd seen each other was our fight. It seemed as though she'd had her prosthetics repaired. Her eyes lit up with the same realization, she looked at the manager, "Go do as you were asked." She shooed him away with the fakes. "Azuma. You look well, what ever happened to the class?"

I scratched the back of my neck, "Haru is graduating & she wants to give everyone else their diplomas at a celebration." I left it at that, still too afraid to admit what I had done.

"Hm?" Curiosity piqued, "So, do the two of you have a date later?"

Heat rose to my cheeks. "Um...kind of."

The man was thoroughly displeased when he handed me the wrapped bouquet. I reached for the money clip in my boot, but Sumireko held up her hand, "No, no. Consider it a favor."

"A favor?" She sensed my reluctance.

"When the time comes, I would like to be repaid with advice and perhaps assistance."

"I'm not very good with advice, but I guess so..." I trailed.

She nodded, "You still have more experience in the area than I. I would like help with Mahiru."

"Okay..?" I paused, letting it hit me, "Ooooohhhhh. I get it. Yeah, I mean, I can try." _Hanabusa has taken a liking to Banba._

A nod, "Well, I don't expect you to be the only one helping." Sumireko held out a card with her phone number. "Tell Miss Ichinose to give me a call for the meet up."

"Alright, we'll get back to you." We shook on it and I set out, taking to a run once again.

 _Please be sleeping_. Thundering up the steps instead of waiting for the elevator, and tapping in codes as fast as I could it was 7:45 by the time I stuck my key in the lock. I took a caught my breath before turning it, opening the door as silently as I could to see Haru turning under the covers.

A sigh of relief escaped. I kicked off my shoes, tip toeing to the edge. The mattress sunk under me as I leaned down to press kiss her, anxious but also happy, excited. "Good morning, love." She groaned, pecking my lips back sleepily.

"Morning." Her arms tried me down.

"You don't want to lay with me right now." I resisted, staying where I sat. "I'm sweaty and gross."

"I don't care." Muffled back.

I smiled lightly, "I got you something."

Her eyes opened slowly, blinking away her tiredness. "Where'd you go?"

"For a run. I saw Hanabusa." This caused Haru to sit up. "Seems she owns at least one shop in the area." I picked up the flowers I'd gotten to show her.

"For me?" I nodded. "Thank you!"

"I thought I'd get in the shower then we can go find a shopping center." Haru beamed at me. It felt good. "Can I have another kiss?" I've never wanted to be so completely consumed by a person before, but after last night's reassurance, I knew. I'm not going anywhere without her.

We were an odd pair: the textbook pessimist and the nauseatingly optimistic.


	5. Why is My Gym Covered in Pocky Crumbs?

"I didn't think it'd be this huge!" Haru's eyes had that twinkle of awe in them as she ogled the 4 floor mall.

I smiled, still on a mood high, hands stuffed in my jersey. "I'm going to empty my inheritance. I don't want to be tracked down by using the same account."

Haru linked her arm in mine, "First stop, bank."

The odd looks didn't deter us and let's just say, a little over 5 hundred thousand yen is a thick wad of bills to be sitting in your pocket. After that, I let Haru explore, trying to keep up. Clothes were easy up until the apparent lack of undergarments I was informed of. Currently, Haru had me staring down a lingerie store.

"Come on!" She beckoned with a big grin, knowingly.

The rest of the argument went a lot like this:

"No." "Yes." "It's not happening." "You _are_ a girl, Tokaku, this is normal." "I refuse." "If you come with me then I'll let you pick."

 _Annnnddddd...cue tomato face again..._

"They're _your_ panties!" It came out much, much, MUCH louder than intended.

"That's the point." "I don't own you." "I don't know, you are a bit possessive." "I am _protective."_ "They both start with P." "I am not prepared for _that."_ "See! Another P word!" "Jesus, please stop. My normal attire does not include lace. I will do _almost_ anything other than this today."

My temperature rose with every syllable. Now the thought had been planted. I wasn't ready for it yet, but now it's there. A glance at my cherry red complexion and the way my eyes pleaded, she hesitated. "Okay. I'll hold you to that though!"

A sigh of relief involuntarily escaped me. "I'm going just across the court to the gym then, meet me there!"

She acknowledged me, I'd seemingly disappointed, despite it being expected. I had no desire to rush into everything. I didn't know if this would work or if I'd be able to stay without attracting danger. I waited for her to enter before heading over.

The gym was average apart from a redhead with a pocky problem. "Azuma?!" My head snapped up.

My casual pace never wavered as we both covered half the distance between us, "You're different." It came as a mumble, mostly to myself.

"Well, it's probably the career change."

"I agree." Awkward silence. "You work here?"

"Yeah. Personal trainor. I also work construction. Hopefully soon I can just work here fulltime, but that's only if my sister gets a scholarship. So...uh, if you're looking to get a membership then I can set you up."

I nodded, "Sounds good." It felt like I should've said more to my ex classmate. So, I prodded the discussion. "I'm done with the clans."

Sagae had a split second of surprise before continuing to press buttons on the monitor. "You have superior skills in combat compared to anyone else in the class, I figured you'd cut your loses with Ichinose and go back to killing."

"I don't think either of us will react favorably if family is mentioned anymore." I pushed the fury back down before exploding.

Sagae held her hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay."

"I'm going to become a cop." It just slipped out.

"Well, there's another thing I never thought you'd say." Sagae handed me a card, "Swipe it to check in and out. It unlocks lockers, restrooms, & showers."

I nodded, shoving it in my pocket with everything else I'd yet to organize. I eyed the equipment trying to think of a response when I noticed a ring, which was rather inviting. "Hey, you up for some sparring?"

An awkward laugh resounded, "You'd kick my ass again, I kind of need my reputation here." Sagae rubbed the back of her neck trying to make time to come up with something to say. She scanned the area as if in hopes that something might stand out, but all that came of it was a high pitched angsty, " _What the fuuuuuuuuuuck_ is she doing here..?"

I immediately got defensive as I noticed Sagae looking in Haru's direction. "Sagae!"

"Not Miss Sunshine!" Haruki pointed next to her, " **HER**!"

Haru was walking with a suspicious pink-haired woman, followed by a massive gaggle of men. _What is this_?! Then it registered through my thick skull, "Is that Inukai!?"

The redhead nodded with an almost condemned presence. They continued over in an animated conversation, but Isuke visibly got uncomfortable as soon as she noticed us watching.

Haru had a big goofy smile plastered to her cheery complexion, it made me happy to see her that way, like maybe she'd forgotten all the awful things that'd ever been done to her. _I wish I could freeze everything right here. Then she'd never have to fake a smile or choke back tears. But that's not who she is or what she'd want. That would make it too easy._

Isuke went quieter with every step as a tense atmoshere sparked up. It was enough to make my hand twitch towards my thigh where my throwing knives were normally located before it hit me that I had changed into jeans after my shower. They were there, but barred by fabric. Haruki seemed to stiffen. _So this is between them. Okay._ A sigh of relief escaped me as Haru lit up even more at the sight of Sagae.

"Hey! I was just telling Isuke-sama about the graduation party we're planning!"

Sagae forced excitement. I don't think she was genuinely uninterested so much as distracted by the other new arrival's presence. "Sure, I'll give you my number for an invite, but I'll have to be quick about it. I'm on the clock." Haru let her type the number into her new cell phone provided by Yuri, the chairwoman. I swear, I've never seen someone type that fast before. Afterwords, she went back to work, leaving me curious.

It was only then that one of the older men had made an ass of himself. "Hey, baby, I'll give you my number too!"

Immediately Haru's hands moved to my shoulders barricading the space between him and I, inukai shook her head in that way that people do when they see someone make a horrible decision. My fist tightened, itching to punch at least one tooth out of that charming personality of his. I decidely stood down.

Haru leaned into me, her voice only reaching my ear, " _Thank you_."

She turned around, reaching out to the guy, who I now realized was not only hitting on her, but was also carrying her bag, I might've let it go until he chuckled, "Don't you worry about this, I'll hold onto it, if you'd like to repay me then there's a nice coffee shop around here."

"Hey, perv! Back off, she's taken and too young for you!" _I really want to hit him._ I lunged toward him, Haru covered her eyes, but after a second with no yelling, she cautiously peeked to see me grab her bag from him and a sigh of relief escaped. I glared, "Hit on her again and I'll teach you manners."

Isuke stifled her giggling, "Azuma has no manners, but those boots really are something _shocking."_

Haru immediately cracked up at the awful joke, hiding her face in my shirt so no one would see her teary eyes. Crying, for any reason, is something she avoided like plague. I did wear a small grin that Isuke raised an eyebrow at, but what I noticed more than anything was the longing that was written all over her face when she looked at us. _It's none of my business._

"Anyways, here's my card," Inukai dropped it in the bag I held, "Let me know when and where the party will be." _What is going on between them? Sagae bailed and Inukai just looked rejected._

When the circus left, Inchinose looked up at me, "I thought you were going to punch him."

" _I_ thought I was going to punch him. But I figured you'd be mad, and I really didn't want to spoil everything."

"You want to go home?" She gave nothing away in her voice, being this close, I just wanted to breathe her in. Sunshine is the only thing I can describe her as.

I shook my head, "No, I'm good, let's do what we came for so that when we head back we won't have to go out again."

A playful expression consumed her face. "Oh, you mean so we have the rest of the night so you can fulfill that _I'll do anything_ promise." _Shit._

I winced remembering the embarrassment of earlier, with a groan I nodded. "I said _almost_ anything. But sure."

"Correct answer." She affirmed taking my hand.


End file.
